Beyond Breaking Point
by xStelenaJouren
Summary: J/L one shot read inside for details


Beyond Breaking Point.

This is an idea me and my friend had on the phone last night whilst discussing about Joey & Lauren and where they are gonna go. This does contain spoilers and refers to next week's episodes.

Enjoy! xD

26th May 2013 was the date printed on the newspaper Lauren Branning found herself resting on as she woke up in a deserted alleyway. She groaned, sitting up, rubbing her eyes, her smudged make up flaking off on to her hands. She saw an empty vodka bottle next to her. She sighed and threw it against the opposite wall, watching it smash before standing up, just about, pulling down her creased dress and picking her jacket from the floor, shaking it and put it on.

She had no idea where she was. She fished in her pocket and found a 5 pound note, praying it would get her home.

Tanya was waiting at the bottom of the steps of their house when the taxi pulled up with Lauren inside.

"Lauren, where the hell have you been?" She exclaimed, opening the door. She gave the driver a twenty pound note and pulled her daughter out of the car.

"What do you care?" Lauren proclaimed, as the taxi drove off, crossing her arms.

"You look like hell. Shower now" Tanya replied, pointing in the direction of the house. Lauren was about to give a cheeky reply when it got lost because her distraction was averted across the square. It was Joey and he was leaving Lucy's house. She gasped, tears coming to the surface.

"Come on, darling. Up you come" Tanya said, putting an arm around her. Lauren nodded, letting her mum guide her up the steps, her eyes not leaving Joey as he crossed the square. Their eyes met and she quickly looked away, blushing and walked into the house...

Joey exhaled deeply as he put his keys down on the hallway table.

"And where have you been?" Alice exclaimed, crossing her arms.

"I crashed at Lucy's. I was drunk and no that didn't happen. I fell asleep. I can say that much" Joey admitted, placing his head in his hands.

"Good. Because I know you and Lauren broke up and she has been missing for 3 days but I also know you still love her" She said, smiling a little.

"She's not missing anymore. I've just seen her. She looks awful, Al. I can't do this anymore. It's killing me" He sighed, sitting on the stairs. She sighed, sitting next to him and putting her arm around him...

Lauren felt better after her shower. She didn't know what to make of seeing Joey leaving Lucy's. A million questions were running around in her head but she knew Lucy had won. Truly. She got changed and found the bottle of wine under her bed. She sighed, shrugging, undid it and brought it her lips, drinking it.

"Lauren, Whitney and Tyler are here!" Abi shouted up the stairs. She sighed, put the bottle of wine down and rushed downstairs.

"Oh my god, Lauren, don't do that to me again, please" Whitney proclaimed, wrapping her arms around her friend tightly.

"You alright?" Tyler asked, after the hug ended.

"Do I look alright?" Lauren questioned, walking into the living room. The honest answer was no but either Whitney or Tyler said a word. They followed her in.

"We need to tell you something before you find out from Lucy and she won't be kind in telling you about it" Whitney said, sighing.

"Go on" Lauren said, fearing what was coming.

"She is claiming she and Joey slept together last night. I don't know if it's true or not but its what she is saying" Whitney told her, the worst being confirmed.

"Of course it is" Lauren said, her head in her hands.

"What do you want us to do?" Whitney asked, her eyes not leaving her friend.

"Just leave, please. I want to be alone" Lauren replied, quickly leaving the room and back upstairs to the bottle of wine...

Hours and bottles later, there was a knock on the door. Lauren walked down the stairs, a little worst for wear and opened it to see Alice.

"Aliceeeeeee" Lauren sang, smiling, leaning against the doorframe.

"Your drunk. Should of known" Alice replied, pushing past her.

"And what can I do for you, Alice?" Lauren questioned, following her cousin into the living room, collapsing onto the sofa, a stupid grin on her face.

"You know I believe you over Lucy but your not helping yourself at all" Alice replied, crossing her arms.

"I'm being me, Alice. Lucy just helped" Lauren said, gesturing towards herself.

"No she didn't. Lauren, look at me. This isn't you. Your place is with Joey. I know that and most importantly Lucy knows that and she torn it apart" Alice proclaimed , sitting opposite her.

"But he didn't believe me, Al! He can't really love me if he doesn't believe me" Lauren replied, sadly.

"Don't, Lauren. I know how much he loves you. He doesn't show it but I know" Alice told her, sighing.

"What are the point of this trip?" Lauren then asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You need to leave until this blows over. Really leave. Until we find a way to expose Lucy. Your killing him. Your killing my brother and I can't see him like that" Alice proclaimed, sighing.

"Your right" Lauren cried "Your actually right"

"I'm sorry it came to this" Alice said before standing up and left. Lauren watched her go and stood up, looking out of the window. She didn't have anywhere to go. Not at all. She had to end it and she wouldn't feel anything. She grabbed her jacket and walked out of the house.

She stole a bottle of vodka from the vic's cellar, drinking it immediately, scrolling through the market where she came to the spot where her brother died 3 years previous. She looked up at the vic.

"Bradley doesn't feel anymore. He's at peace" She exclaimed loudly, taking another drink and headed around the side of the vic, climbing onto the roof, sitting on the edge, her legs dangling over.

"Lauren Branning, you get down from there right there" A voice screeched at her. She looked down and saw Dot.

"Grandma!" She shouted, holding her bottle up and took another sip of her drink.

"Get down from there!" Dot said to her, nervous.

"Why do you care? I'm just your disgusting granddaughter that slept with her cousin. Admit it, you want me dead. You'll feel better about yourself" Lauren replied, raising an eyebrow.

Dot dashed into the vic, finding Max, Kirsty and Tanya.

"Come quickly, Lauren's on the roof!" Dot exclaimed, rubbing her forehead. Max didn't needed to be told twice. He rushed outside looking up, Tanya not far behind him.

"Lauren, don't do this, please, think about your brother. I can't lose another child this way, babe. Please. I'm begging you" Max pleaded. Tanya looked beside her. She turned to Kirsty.

"Get Joey now. He is at work" Kirsty nodded and ran to the club, finding Joey.

"What's wrong, Kirsty?" He asked, as she reached the bar.

"It's Lauren" She said, a little out of breath.

"Kirsty, I don't wanna hea-"

"She is on top of the vic. I think she might jump" She cut across him. His eyes widen before quickly pushing past Kirsty and ran out of the club. He managed to get to the vic and his heart fell as he looked up and saw Lauren sat there.

"Lauren, don't do this, please" He said, as he caught his breath.

"Why not, Joey? Apparently I'm killing you and your shacking up with Lucy again so it none of your concern" She replied, sighing.

"Everything you do is my concern and for the record I'm not doing anything with Lucy" He replied, sighing.

"Tell someone who cares!" She screeched at him before looking away.

"Oh for gods sake, Lauren" He told her before running to Lucy's, banging on her door.

"Joey, what ar-" He didn't give her chance to speak because he dragged her, pulling her towards the vic.

"Tell her. Tell her we didn't do anything last night" He said, pointing to Lauren.

"It's not my fault you don't remember. Shame really. It was a good time" Lucy replied, crossing her arms. He groaned, turning away.

"I didn't sleep with her, babe. I promise" He told Lauren, looking up at her.

"I ain't your babe, anymore. She is!" She exclaimed, pointing at Lucy.

"This is stupid, Lauren. Just get down" Max called up, beyond panicked.

"Not until she tells her boyfriend what a nasty little bitch she it!" She replied, taking another drink.

"Lauren, I don't what you think I've done but I'm sorry" Lucy told her, sighing.

"You know you two are welcome to each other" Lauren said, standing up. Joey and Max both welcome to each other.

"Lauren, don't do this" Max said, swallowing loudly. Joey didn't know what to say, only he wasn't prepared what he may do if Lauren was to jump. He caught Lucy out of the corner of her eye with a smirk on her face, looking up at Lauren.

"Oh my god, she was telling the truth along wasn't she?" He said, rounding on Lucy.

"Joey, we have more important things to worry about right now" Max told him, sighing.

"You did spike her drink, didn't you? Go on, Lucy, look me in the eye and tell me you didn't go on" Joey said to her, crossing his arms.

She remained speechless, glancing up at Lauren.

"I'll deal with you later" He said, before rushing around the side of vic, pushing Max away as he tried to stop him.

"Told you she did it" Lauren said, bitterly as he stood on the roof and she saw down again.

"And I'm so sorry I didn't believe you" Joey replied, sighing, walking closer to her.

"I did it for you. I stopped for you because I loved you that much. I wanted us to be together and nothing holding us back. I had something that was mine for once and I couldn't lose it. Because I had once before and that nearly killed me. I did it for you. I let my guard down and let you in but you didn't believe me or in me. That was all I asked of you. You ruined it, not me, Joseph Branning! Not me, not Lucy. You!" She exclaimed, crying.

"Don't cry, Lauren, please don't" He said, sighing.

"What else am I supposed to do? For once in my life, I felt safe and at home. After all the crap I've been through, nearly killing Dad, going into care, Mum's cancer, Bradley dying, Billie dying, the drinking, oh the drinking, I felt like I found something but I was wrong. So wrong" She replied, sniffing and wiping her eyes.

"Please, Lauren, I love you. You know I do. And I'm sorry that I didn't believe you, I really do. Just give me a chance to prove myself or she wins" He told her, a quick look at Lucy.

"Don't you get it? Lucy has already won because you let her!" She proclaimed, going to stand up again.

"When I do this, no one needs to care about me anymore. I'll be gone. A distant memory" She said, straightening her up. He quickly walked forward, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"If you jump, I'm going with you" He whispered to her. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"What?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because it's the only way I can prove myself, Lauren. And also I don't want to walk around without you. I need you and if it comes to this then it comes to this" He told her, sighing. She looked at him, feeling her heart raise a little.

"You really do love me, don't you?" She whispered, her eyes boring into his.

"You know I do" He replied as Lauren turned around, him taking her hand.

"Guess I can't die yet. You have a load of grovelling to do. And I mean that" She replied, smiling, letting go of his hand, and carefully walked back down to the ground.

"Should of done this weeks ago" She said, upon reaching Lucy and slapped her. Max put his arm out as the blonde tried to hit Lauren back.

"Come on, Lauren, lets get you sobered up" He said, as they walked back to the house. She caught sight of Joey. She gave him a small smile, not knowing what the future held and walked to her house, a little more positive about everything.


End file.
